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Whether you drive a gas guzzling Hummer or a gas sipping Prius, every time you fill up at a Bay Area pump, your eyes go wide as you realize just how much of your salary gets siphoned into the pockets of the gas and oil companies. Short of trading your car for a skateboard — and who
wants to do that? – what can you do to cut costs without altering your driving habits or needs?

Here are 3 core ideas to implement TODAY:

1. Get your tire pressure checked!

If your tires are suboptimally inflated – either inflated too much or not inflated enough – your car will require more force to move. Imagine if you had to roll two tires across a sidewalk: one tire is correctly inflated and one is deflated. Which tire would be easier for you to push? Obviously the inflated one! The same is true for your engine. Hence, even a little bit of under-inflation can cost you tens of dollars a month, depending on how much you drive.

2. Avoid jerky changes in speed and acceleration.

As any physics student will tell you, the force required to move an object is equal to its change in momentum. What this means is that, if your car constantly changes velocity, you will need more force, and you will need to burn more gasoline to generate that force. So if you want to cut down on your gasoline consumption, the answer is pretty straightforward: just drive more consistently – avoid sudden starts and stops, avoid speeding, etc.

3. Maintain your car parts!

A quick tune up of your automobile can lead to profound efficiency for your gas mileage. Dirty, worn-down, or broken components can cause all sorts of combustion problems, friction problems …not to mention safety hazards. Getting a thorough, regular checkup is the best way to ensure your vehicle is running at an efficient level and achieving your maximum MPG possible.

Picture yourself in Downtown San Francisco in the year 2035.

image source: http://ow.ly/9LJUj

Cars motor down our roads, just like they do now. Nothing looks out of the ordinary. But look closely. The cars have no drivers! And man, oh man, can those driverless cars drive.

Traffic flows easy and seamlessly, sans any human guidance. Every human is a passenger. Motorists who once wasted hours of every day watching for pedestrians, trees, and red lights, chill out in the back and zone out on whatever the 2035 version of the iPad is. The cars zip around, avoiding obstacles like pedestrians and debris, as if like magic. Since red lights no longer exist — and since automated cars can pack closer together than our current cars can — commuting time is reduced. Fuel economy is better, too, since all automated cars can communicate with one another. There is no excess waste or drag on the traffic system.

June 2011, Nevada first state to legalize self-driving cars

March 2012, California state Sen. Alex Padilla introduces SB1298, a bill establishing guidelines for autonomous vehicle testing and operations in California.

Pipe Dream Or Not?

Driverless cars may sound like a wonderful, if “out there” idea. But groups like the Institute Without Boundaries are working to turn this fantasy into reality. The Institute’s Beyond The Car project could one day eliminate our need for traffic lights and herald a golden age in transportation.

When you attended driver’s ed in the Bay Area or elsewhere, you probably learned early on that the best drivers are defensive drivers. We all – or at least most of us – remember this idea. But when some idiot in a speeding Camaro cuts us off on the freeway, our impatience and rage often overcome us, and we may do stupid things that put us at great risk for accidents.

Being a defensive driver means adopting a set of smarter, more cautious driving habits and behaviors. In some ways, it’s easier to define defensive drivers as doing the opposite of aggressive drivers.

image source: http://ow.ly/9lv5h

Aggressive drivers do things like:

• Cause conflict on roads
• Scare or intimidate other drivers by driving fast or driving while under the influence
• of alcohol, narcotics, or medications
• Tailgate
• Blast music
• Ignore traffic signs
• Generally don’t pay sufficient attention to other vehicles and pedestrians
• Change multiple lanes without signaling
• Etc.

Defensive driving is the opposite – being conscientious, aware, and in control of your vehicle. Defensive driving involves more than just adopting good habits – it involves paying attention to the strange or dangerous actions of others and meeting these with appropriate responses. For instance, say someone veers into your lane and cuts you off. You may beep at them – not to provoke a fight, but to alert the person of your presence. Being a defensive driver doesn’t mean being a wallflower or milquetoast. It means “advocating for your driving rights” in the safest, most sensible, and most compassionate way.

To really fine tune your skills, consider taking a refresher driver’s ed courses or studying “best driving habits” online or elsewhere. It may sound silly to pay so much attention to your driving. But think about how many miles you spend behind the wheel. Auto accidents kill over 40,000 people every year and injure millions more. So it’s really worth it to spend some time thinking about how to make your driving as safe as possible
– not just for you but for other drivers.

We’re Here to Help!

If you have been in a collision, and you need help fixing your car, connect with the team here at Shattuck Auto Collision Center. We’ve been serving the East Bay, Oakland, and Berkley areas since 1965. Learn more about us at www.shattuckauto.com, or call now for help with minor and major collision repair at 510-848-6281.

img src: http://www.1usedtrucks.com/

18 wheelers and other big rigs populate the Bay Area’s roads. There is really nothing you can do about that. These monstrous vehicles have the capacity to do incredible harm.

It’s not that the drivers are untrained or unskilled. To the contrary, most big rig truckers get training and feedback and other rigorous testing. Rather, it’s the sheer size and “clunkiness” of big rigs that make them such lethal weapons.

It All Comes Down to Basic Physics

The more massive an object is, the more force it can impart. Force is defined as mass times acceleration (F=MA). As the “M” part of that equation increases, the “F” part also increases. Here is an example: A 40-ton truck that goes from 60 miles per hour to 0 miles per hour in 5 seconds will impart as much force as a 2-ton auto going from 1,200 miles to zero miles in 5 seconds.

That’s as much force as a 200-pound man could impart if he went from 12,000 miles to 0 miles per hour in just 5 seconds. That’s like a man going as fast as a rocket ship being stopped in 5 seconds flat. A lot of force, in other words!

So what do you about that? Here are some ideas:

1. Avoid being aggressive

Big commercial rigs should be treated with great care. Do not zip around them or cut them off. If you are in the driver’s blind spot, get passed them as quickly as possible. If you can’t see the driver’s mirror, he (or she) can’t see you.

2. Stay out of the big rigger’s “safety cushion” 

Big trucks need a lot of room to stop: 50 feet or more, depending on traffic conditions. So, avoid zipping in front of a truck; you could be in for a very unpleasant rear-ending.

3. Be Alert!

The most important thing when driving around big rigs or driving in general is to be alert. Do not drive while over exhausted, keep your eyes on the road, don’t text (it is the law), and be aware of the cars around you, especially the big rigs. Big rigs have large “blind spots” so they may not see you.

4. Make sure that your car is functioning at its highest capacity.

If you need help recovering from a Bay Area big rig crash or any other accident that might have caused frame, body, or paint damage to your vehicle, connect with the team at Shattuck Auto Collision Center. We offer major and minor collision repair, precision unibody and framework, rental cars and towing, hybrid auto body repair, and many other services to help you deal with whatever comes your way on Bay Area roads. Call us at 510-848-6281, or learn more about us www.shattuckauto.com.

image source: http://ow.ly/8YBDI

1. Check for injuries.

2. Call the police and file a police report.

3. Exchange information with all relevant parties.

4. Collect witness statements.

5. File an insurance claim.

6. Connect with an attorney.

7. Find an auto shop near you.

Reports of Detroit’s death may have been greatly exaggerated.

Indeed, the automotive industry has been witnessing something of a boom – at least in a certain segments and niches. 2012 promises to be a very exciting year for new automotive technology. This blog post will review some of the counterintuitive and delightful innovations that will create buzz in 2012:

1. Better tech/more tech/cheaper tech.

Rear-view cameras, hybrid systems, more fuel efficient engines, and more sophisticated and intuitively usable navigation systems already do exist – and they did exist in 2011. However, 2012 will see these technologies migrate into cheaper automobiles. These technologies will become more user friendly. They will become more ubiquitous. For instance, the 2012 Scion iQ sports rear-view cameras. The 2012 Honda Civic boasts a more fuel efficient engine – approximately 10% more efficient than the 2011 model. The 2012 Hyundai Veloster coupe will have streaming radio (via Pandora), built in video game consoles, GraceNote music management tech, and more.

2. Battle tested safety innovations.

2012 may be all about airbags, airbags, airbags. For instance, the 2012 Scion iQ comes with 10 airbags standard. Perhaps more excitingly, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat will have special anti- intrusion steel beams in the side doors. These beams will provide an extra layer of protection against “T-Bone” style side impact crashes. Very exciting news for safety conscious city drivers.

3. More plentiful, diverse, and richer conversations between owners, manufacturers, and engineers.

As automotive consumers become more savvy – and as tech giants tune into the latent market potential online — expect more flourishing conversations to take place between automotive technology engineers, builders and users. The most surprising innovations of 2012 may emerge from these consilient online conversations.

Contact us today.

For help with auto body repair in the Bay Area, connect with the team here at Shattuck Auto Collision Center. For nearly 50-years, we have been serving the East Bay, Oakland, and Berkeley. Learn more about our services at www.shattuckauto.com, or call us at 510-848-6281.

It’s time to sell your car.

For whatever reason – an accident, a promotion (or demotion), a cross country move, wanting to upgrade your ride, or what have – you want to put your beloved old car on the market and move on with  your life. But you face a hurdle. Specifically, you want to get the most money you can out of the sale with the least amount of time and effort.

How should you approach this problem?

According to a forgotten 19th Century economist, Pareto, an inverse relationship exists between inputs and outputs for basically any system. More specifically, 80% of your energy on a specific project will only get you 20% of the results; conversely, 20% of your energies will lead to 80% of the results. This principle, also known as the “80/20 rule,” applies to practically any system or situation. Leveraging 80/20 could be profoundly helpful, if you want to get the most money for your used car. If Pareto is correct, then 20% of the actions you take will lead to 80% of the benefits for your sale. Likewise, 80% of the things you might do would be relatively worthless.

So what are the “vital few” actions you can take which will really make a difference?

Invariably, sellers can make awesome headway just by removing unsightly dents and by freshening up the paint. Doing this is easy, simple, and cost effective. Yet it can generate a massive increase in your sales price. Appearances matter.

Think about it. Imagine if you were shopping for a car. If a prospective car looks dinged up and the paint is scratched, the car will look “cheap” and you hesitate to place an offer. However, if the car looks nice, you’ll be tremendously more likely to consider a serious offer.

So how can you leverage this principle to win at the sales game?

Connect today with the experienced professionals of the Shattuck Auto Collision Center. Since 1965, we have been serving Berkeley, Oakland and the East Bay. Call us at 510-848-6281, or visit us at www.shattuckauto.com.

Winter is just around the corner, and you know what that means: Yucky days are ahead. To navigate the potentially treacherous, slick, and flooded highways, consider these tips:

1. Apply “Common Sense” Safe Driving Tips, but Apply Them Harder Than Ever.

You probably don’t need to be reminded that, during wet, gusty, and wintry weather, you need to slow down, turn on your headlights, give ample space between you and other vehicles, avoid driving while under the influence of medications (even over-the-counter ones) or alcohol, avoid distractions like cell phone conversations, and keep your car “in ship shape” and well maintained. These are “should do’s” for any time of the year, but they are particularly relevant during the wild and wooly winter days, when room for error diminishes considerably.

2. Pay Close Attention to Relevant Signage.

Caltrans might provide messages indicating dense fog ahead, road outages, emergency detours, debris in road, etc. Interestingly, drivers often pay keen attention to such signage when they enter unfamiliar terrain – such as a highway far from home – but they often “go blind” to signage that they see every day.

3. Remember Critical Winter Driving Skills.

If your car skids out on the road and you don’t have antilock brakes, pump your brakes, don’t slam them down. If you DO have antilock brakes, avoid pumping or stamping on the pedal. (If you are not sure whether you have antilock brakes or not, ask your spouse!)

Turn in the opposite direction of any skid. If you do get into an accident, pull off the road as far as you can, turn on your emergency blinkers, and call for help. Be mindful: during heavy rains or fog, cars behind you may not see your vehicle or you.

4. In Fog, Special Rules Apply.

Drive with your low beams on, not your high beams. Minimize speed to maximize safety. If you have trouble seeing, crack open a window to listen to potential traffic around you. If the fog gets bad, pull over until it clears off a bit: there is no point endangering your life or the lives of others to get to a party (or even to get home) an hour or two earlier.

If you need auto body repairs, connect with the team at Shattuck Auto Collision Center. We have been serving the Berkeley, Oakland, and East Bay since 1965, and we are a highly skilled, highly reputable team.

Read more about us at www.shattuckauto.com or call us now at 510-848-6281.

Shattuck Auto Collision Center (SAC) is honored to have been able to contribute to CalSol’s (UC Berkeley Solar Vehicle Team) solar vehicle, Impulse. The solar vehicle is being prepared for its World Solar Challenge racing debut October 16th in Australia. A project 2 years in the making by a team of 75 undergraduate students and funded entirely through donations, Impulse runs completely off solar energy and can reach a speed of 70 miles per hour. It has been inspected and registered with the DMV to be street legal.

Shattuck Auto Collision contributed all of the paint work, painting the panels prior to assembly and a final paint renovation for its shipment to Australia.

Everyone at Shattuck Auto Collision is very excited about the race, enthusiastically cheering on CalSol’s Impulse. The World Solar Challenge race starts October 16th from Darwin and ends October 25th in Adelaide. It’s the Super Bowl of solar car racing!

Shattuck Auto Collision is an independent Berkeley auto body and paint shop, located on Shattuck Avenue on the Oakland/Berkeley border. Shattuck Auto Collision Center is a forward thinking, community minded, local company who has been supporting Berkeley and other East Bay nonprofit organizations for over 45 years.

See photos of Shattuck Auto Collision and CalSol here

See CalSol’s Blog Impulse Grooming